


Here to Collect Your Heart

by stopmopingstarthoping



Series: Disarmed [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Fluff, Karaoke, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-04
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-06-21 22:35:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15567852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stopmopingstarthoping/pseuds/stopmopingstarthoping
Summary: He listened; it was a cute, energetic tune with a steady four-on-the-floor beat. The bass notes thrummed and Nyx sat back in his chair. The singer started, and he was good - enough that Nyx was distracted by it as he leaned over to listen to Pelna. He narrowed his eyes and tried to make out the words Pelna was saying. It was deafeningly loud in the bar, but the singer’s amplified high notes kept breaking through the noise and catching his attention. Nyx looked up at Tredd and nodded his thanks as he accepted his beer. Libertus was already scrolling through the screen with the list of songs, searching for his favorites.The singer strolled to the side of the small, raised stage, and something about his lithe movements caught Nyx's eye as familiar, somehow.





	Here to Collect Your Heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Xylianna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xylianna/gifts).



Nyx breathed in deep, and exhaled stale air, rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck. The night was cool and damp, and it was still relatively early, as he headed down a well-lit street in central Insomnia. It was good to be back and to have a taste of “normal” life again, whatever that was.

He was bone tired, but he'd been unable to resist the cajoling of the other Glaives. And he could sleep tomorrow, and for the next few days of leave after that. They were all relieved to have a break, and they’d gotten the evening truly started at the tiny dive bar in the Galahdian quarter where Nyx and his friends usually drank. The comfort food and relaxed atmosphere had been the perfect way to try to put some distance between themselves and the four dirty, gritty, tense weeks they'd just had.

But now, Libertus and his typical drunken adventures had them headed to a karaoke bar in central Insomnia, close to the Citadel. All so that Lib could be a ham. Nyx laughed to himself, but he was happy to follow along. Hell, he was just happy to be wearing clean clothes that weren’t military-issue. He slung an arm around Libertus. "All right, fine, small town boy."  
  
Libertus let out a chuckle. "It's _city_ boy, Nyx." He raised his voice in a drunken warble. "Born and raised in South Detro-oit!"  
  
Nyx shook his head and cackled, piling down the sidewalk with the others. "Where's Detroit anyway?"  
  
Crowe laughed. "I dunno, somewhere in Duscae probably. Come on Lib, time to show off those pipes." She punched his arm and jogged alongside happily.  
  
The place was packed, and bright, and Nyx felt every single one of his twenty-nine years old as he looked around. He was surrounded by younger folks, and while that didn't bother him necessarily, they were mostly sharply dressed and trendy looking. It reminded him that he hadn't slept properly in about a month and that despite his shower, he probably still had dirt under his fingernails.

Crowe flagged him down; she’d somehow found a table squeezed in near the wall. Nyx pondered how she was like a good-luck charm for that and open parking spots. Tredd was already at the bar getting the next round, so Nyx dropped into a chair as the next song started.

He listened; it was a cute, energetic tune with a steady four-on-the-floor beat. The bass notes thrummed and Nyx sat back in his chair. The singer started, and he was good - enough that Nyx was distracted by it as he leaned over to listen to Pelna. He narrowed his eyes and tried to make out the words Pelna was saying. It was deafeningly loud in the bar, but the singer’s amplified high notes kept breaking through the noise and catching his attention. Nyx looked up at Tredd and nodded his thanks as he accepted his beer. Libertus was already scrolling through the screen with the list of songs, searching for his favorites.  
  
The singer strolled to the side of the small, raised stage, and something about his lithe movements caught Nyx's eye as familiar, somehow.  
  
He turned around and figured it out just as Ignis sang the words, "I'm not gonna go home alone" and rolled his body seductively. Nyx’s jaw dropped, and he let out an open-mouthed laugh of disbelief.  
  
_No. No, you are not. Not after that._

Nyx sat, transfixed, elbow slung over the back of his chair.  He mouthed a silent "Wow" and took an absent sip of his beer. He saw their little blond friend - Prompto? - pretend to faint into Gladio's arms, only to pop back up to start shouting the chorus along with him, pumping a fist. The prince was there too, more subdued but laughing his ass off.

Leading with the hips, Ignis strutted across the stage, mic in hand, and Nyx’s mouth dropped open even further as Ignis crooned and played off the energy from the crowd, giving a sexy smile to an audience member or two. A corner of Nyx's mouth pulled back at this new discovery. The sparks Ignis gave off were magnetic, and when Nyx heard Ignis’ breath catch in the microphone, his own breath stopped for a moment in response.

 _Holy shit._ Now Nyx was focused on willing away the boner that had sprung up - Pelna had already gotten the wrong idea once and he didn't want to make _that_ mistake again. He nodded and laughed, pretending he wasn’t completely distracted, but the tones of Ignis’ voice were unmistakable now that he’d put it together, and as the song thrummed through the bar, Nyx realized how much he’d been looking forward to seeing him again. The back of his neck tingled in anticipation, and Nyx drained his beer faster than he meant to, laughed at a stupid joke Tredd made, and scowled at Crowe for the knowing look she gave him.

The song came to an end, and Nyx wove his way through the packed bar to where Ignis’ friends were still cackling and clapping him on the back. Ignis was fishing his glasses back out of his shirt pocket when he saw Nyx and stopped. Bright flushed spots stood out on his cheekbones, and he didn’t seem to know where to look, or what to say, so Nyx started.

"That was -"  
  
"Ridiculous? Undignified? Embarrassing?" Ignis was panicking a little and fiddling with his hair. Clearly he hadn't expected to be spotted by his new - whatever it was they were doing. Nyx let his thoughts smooth over that one like a minor speed bump.  
  
"Relax, gorgeous, I was gonna say sexy." Nyx sidled close, but his back stiffened when he saw Ignis glance behind him and around the bar. "You worried about what people are gonna think?"  
  
"No, I just - " Ignis stammered and flushed, and finally met his eyes. Nyx stopped taking his hesitation personally when he saw the fun-loving performer fight with the starched advisor in Ignis’ expression. Nyx grinned, stepped forward and swept Ignis into a deep kiss, pressing his palm between Ignis' shoulder blades and bending him back a little. Somebody whooped, probably Amicitia judging by the volume. Ignis flailed for a moment and then relaxed, kissing Nyx back and curling fingers around his neck. Nyx hadn't forgotten the warmth of Ignis’ lips or the taste of his mouth, but damn, it was good to be reminded. Six, the simple act of having his hair played with at this point was making him shiver. _Long four weeks_ , he thought.    
  
Nyx let Ignis go and flashed another smile. " _That's_ how you say welcome home, by the way."

Go, do another one. Crowd loves you.” Nyx leaned close again. “I gotta stay here and watch my buddy murder a couple songs - come find me before you go, yeah?”

Ignis nodded, and a small, self-satisfied grin teased at his mouth. “Glad you’re back.”

Nyx retreated to the Glaives’ table with a little extra bounce to his hips, and Crowe shoved on his knee with her foot when he sat back down. “You got it bad, old man,” she said, dangling a cheese fry over her open mouth and smirking after she dropped it in. “Hope you can keep up with him.”

Nyx accepted her teasing with a dimpled grin and a dip of his head. “I got the next round.”

He sat back, equal parts keyed up and worn out, and shouted along with Libertus when his turn finally came. He laughed until tears came to his eyes at the group number Lib dragged Tredd and Pelna into, and helped himself to Crowe’s food, enduring a friendly slap for his theft.

The music was loud and absorbing - so loud Nyx couldn’t even hear his chair scrape as he pushed it back and headed toward the back of the bar. He scanned until he saw a small hallway that looked like it contained the men’s room. Nyx’s steps wove a little more than he’d thought they would. _Been a long time since we’ve been out like this_. He turned the corner down the slightly dim hallway, peering around to make sure he didn’t end up in a storage closet or the kitchen, or something, and realized with amusement that he was being followed by an Ignis that was only slightly less drunk than he was. After this many years in the field, he knew when he was being tailed, but he thought to himself that Ignis was doing a pretty good job. He’d almost think it was a coincidence if he didn’t know better. _Almost_ nonchalant. He laughed quietly to himself before he came to a stop and turned around, leaning against the exposed brick of the wall to give Ignis a knowing glance.

“Yes?” Nyx crossed his arms and leaned lightly against the wall, but was thrown off balance when Ignis grabbed his shirt and pulled Nyx toward him. A startled laugh slipped out, and he found himself, willingly, drawn into an embrace.

“I found you.” One of those long legs wound itself slightly around his, and he felt Ignis' heel slide against his calf.

“Thought you were going to sing another one?” Nyx grasped Ignis’ hips as long fingers slid around behind his neck again, this time with confidence and some of that intentional seduction Nyx loved.

“I didn't want to wait.” Ignis tipped his head innocently. “I hope that’s okay.”

Nyx looked down into those green eyes for just a moment, but it was enough. He leaned back, a little unsteadily, to pull out his phone and sent a quick text.

“Oh, but your friend - “ Concern flickered across Ignis’ face, but Nyx cut him off, looking up briefly.

“Knows I'd do the same for him.  Did I mention earlier that it’s really good to see you?” Nyx sent the message and beamed a grin as Ignis pulled away and strolled further toward the back. Ignis smiled too, just a curl at the very corner of his mouth, but Nyx saw it for what it was.

Ignis beckoned him past the restrooms and through a now-abandoned kitchen, opening the door at the back. “Through here. You don't get a prince into and out of a karaoke bar without knowing where all the exits are.”

“This is definitely easier than fighting that crowd again, thanks.” Nyx met Ignis’ arched eyebrow with a devilish spark of his own. “My bike's walking distance from here. You ever ridden a motorcycle before?”

“No, and we're not starting tonight.” Ignis’ tone was clipped as he took out his phone. “You’ve had too many.”

Nyx raised his index finger thoughtfully, and opened his mouth, tempted to say that if he could ride that bike through a legion of daemons, he could probably handle it after a couple beers, but Ignis was already tapping on his screen, calling a car, and Nyx was tired. Instead, he turned it into a finger gun, and pointed it at Ignis. Nyx cracked up, while watching Ignis pretend not to smile. Ignis’ shoes clicked against the old stones paving the alleyway, and they emerged onto a corner alive with nightlife and traffic.

The soft leather seats in the back of the car were comfortable, and Nyx let out a sigh as the city lights swept past. It was a short ride, after they’d decided Nyx’s apartment was easier and closer. Nyx suspected that Ignis enjoyed his place because it didn’t reek of responsibility the way Ignis’ own did, but it wasn’t the time to talk about it. Ignis’ cologne drifted into his nose and a gloved hand slid over to squeeze his thigh. Nyx dipped his head over to brush kisses against a smooth jawline and grinned at the low hum that emerged. Ignis glanced into the rearview mirror to see if the driver was watching them, and Nyx acknowledged his discomfort and pulled back.  He was aware, though, of the long line of Ignis’ body pressed directly next to his as the car skated smoothly through the late-night streets of Insomnia.

The car rolled to a stop, and Ignis nodded politely at the driver as they slid out the street side. Once they’d clambered up the short flight of stairs, Nyx fiddled for a moment with the deadbolt that always stuck. Nyx welcomed Ignis in with a slightly tipsy flourish, and headed directly toward his bed to flop down, hands behind his head. “Damn, but it’s good to be home. C’mere.” He motioned to Ignis, who curled up next to him gracefully, after sliding off his shoes. Nyx pulled his head up and laughed, then kicked his own boots off and pulled Ignis close.

“Have you not been home since you got back?” Ignis propped himself up next to Nyx, reaching down to run a gloved finger across a bristled jaw.

“Eh, just to shower and drop off my shit.” Nyx gestured at a gigantic duffel bag in the corner.  “And then get immediately dragged out by a bunch of rowdy Glaives.”

“Well, I’m glad they dragged you out, anyway.” The sound of Ignis’ voice disappeared into Nyx’s lips.  

Nyx sighed happily in response and pulled Ignis down, playfully rough, and grinned. “Worked out well, didn’t it?” Nyx murmured, breaking away briefly before claiming Ignis’ mouth fully,

Gods, it was just nice to have a little _time,_  and Nyx felt a hand slide under his shirt. He didn’t know when Ignis had lost the gloves, but it felt amazing. Without breaking the kiss, Ignis shifted on top of him, graceful as always, the line of his body a sinuous ripple against Nyx’s own.  

Nyx moved in to nip at Ignis’ neck, but he leaned back, an impatient look passing across fine-boned features. Ignis looked toward Nyx’s bathroom and placed another light kiss on Nyx’s lips, pulling away slowly and gently.

“Hold this thought, please? I’ll be right back.” Eager green eyes met his own.

Nyx laughed, realizing they’d never actually made it to the restrooms in the bar. “I’m not goin’ anywhere.” He grinned and watched Ignis leave the room, eyes lingering. This was probably the best thing to come home to, yeah. He sat up, peeled off his jacket and dropped it on the floor, and settled back into his pillow. It was amazingly comfortable, and the lights outside shone their usual yellow-orange haze.

* * *

When Ignis returned, moments later, Nyx was asleep. In the dim light, smudges of dark purple under his eyes stood out, and Ignis studied him thoughtfully. He looked out the window for a moment, wondering what time it was. Tentatively, with the distinct feeling that he was breaking new ground, Ignis clicked off the light. He shucked off his jacket and pants, laying them neatly across a nearby chair.  

Ignis lightly, carefully, undid Nyx’s pants and tugged them off, folding them across his own clothes. Nyx stirred vaguely, murmuring something under his breath that sounded like “beautiful,” but failed to rouse to full consciousness. Ignis laughed quietly, and rolled him gently the rest of the way into bed. A sharp intake of breath drew his attention as Nyx rolled onto one shoulder, winced, and proceeded to lightly snore on his back.

Ignis looked down at Nyx while he unbuttoned his own shirt, wondering why this simple act of affection felt so much more difficult and hesitant than the steamy weekend they’d spent together before. Why did it take so much more courage to simply slide in next to Nyx than it had to have sex with him? _Repeatedly, at that_ , Ignis smirked to himself, before lifting the sheet and curling in. He’d certainly been made to feel welcome here. Ignis startled as a sleep-heavy arm thudded across his chest, then laughed quietly. _Reassuring_ , he thought, and drifted.

Bright morning light replaced streetlights, and Ignis stirred to a lazy stretch beside Nyx. Ignis burrowed closer, enjoying the simple bliss of a morning without responsibilities. Nyx rolled to face him, grinning at his presence, and propped up on one elbow. “Shower?” He’d taken his shirt off at some point during the night, Ignis noticed.

“After you.” Ignis placed a soft kiss on Nyx’s shoulder, on a new bruise he hadn’t seen. It was mildly hideous, and the thought made him scan Nyx’s body with concern; unsurprisingly, Nyx took it as appreciation instead.

“I don’t see why it’s gotta be one at a time.” A cocky eyebrow punctuated the remark.

Ignis shook his head, suppressing a grin. “Even first thing in the morning, you’re just so _you_.”

Nyx hauled himself up, shuffling across the floor while he scratched the back of his head and yawned. “You love it.”

Ignis watched Nyx wander slowly from the bedroom before his gaze dropped to Nyx’s jacket on the floor.

_Maybe, actually, but that’s a conversation for another time._

**Author's Note:**

> Song inspiration is [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOFQqNBd12I) and [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yW7w8F2TVA).


End file.
